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April 21, 2015

Every Bride Needs a Groom {Janice Thompson}

Small-town girl Katie Fisher is busy planning her fairy-tale wedding. Sure, her boyfriend hasn't managed to pop the question just yet, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't enter a contest in Texas Bride magazine to win the dress of her dreams, right? Anyway, she's sure he'll be getting down on one knee any time now. And a one-of-a-kind designer dress doesn't just fall out of the sky right when you need it.But when Katie's boyfriend takes a job in another town and breaks up with her - on the very same day she wins her dream dress - her world is turned upside down. Dare she go to Dallas to claim her prize? And will the hunky pro basketball player who runs the beyond-swanky bridal shop - yeah, you read that right - discover her humiliating secret if she does?

My Thoughts:
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Janice Thompson, and pretty much love everything she writes. I have been a huge fan of Bella for years, and wasn't real sure Janice could ever introduce a character that could steal my heart like Bella did. But then I met Katie Fisher.

Every Bride Needs a Groom caught my attention from the very first chapter. Katie Fisher is the definition of small-town girl. She lives in the same town with her entire family, she's the only sister of three brothers, she's dated the same guy for years, and her family holds to their weekly schedule like clock work. On the surface, it appears that she will marry her dream guy and they will make her their life in the same small town. Her love for planning her wedding seems to occur in her every day activities. She has every little detail planned and she's ready to execute those plans. But, life sure does like to throw those curve balls.

As soon as Katie sets foot in the bridal store, we realize that her life is about to change. Everyone just seems to fall into her life so naturally, and she seems so at-home in the big city of Dallas. Brady walks into her life, and we know immediately that things are going to heat up.

Throughout the entire process of designing the gown, Katie is torn between wanting to tell the truth about her non-engagement, and the pressure of those around her to just go with it. I really appreciate her conviction to be honest, and the way she and everyone else handled the truth as it came out.

The surrounding characters in this book are just as enjoyable as Katie and Brady, and I'm really hoping that as this series continues we will get to see many of them return with stories of their own. And of course, I loved the folks from Galveston that showed up in this story in various places: Jordan, Hannah and Drew, and even mentions of Bella and Gabi.

I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series and can't wait to take the adventure that will be Katie Fisher in Dallas.
Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves in, Thompson offers an inside look at the wedding business, drawing on her own experience as a wedding planner. She is the author of the hugely popular Weddings by Bella series, the Backstage Pass series, and the Weddings by Design series. She lives in Texas.